Let me help you plan your next vacation! Here are the best places to visit in 2020 (a.k.a my 10 favourite destinations in 2019).

My epic 2019 adventures already feel like a dream. As I type this in mid-December, I’ve only been back in Australia for two weeks. But so much has happened since then that I really can’t fathom that I visited 16 countries in 2019! As I was deciding how to do a brief end-of-year recap of my travels, this post idea came to mind. I thought I’d attempt to pick my 10 favourite destinations, out of over 40 I visited in 2019. So here we are, the places I think you should visit in 2020. I also wanted to note that I visited all of these destinations solo too. Let’s go!

My favourite destinations in 2019 (and where you should visit in 2020)

Edinburgh

I fell in love with Edinburgh when I first visited in 2017. So much so, it instantly became one of my favourite cities. I was scared that it might not live up to my expectations the second time round, but fortunately it exceeded them. Seriously, if you haven’t visited Edinburgh, remedy that immediately, as it’s a city filled with beautiful historic buildings and amazing eateries.

I highly recommend heading up to Edinburgh Castle and along the Royal Mile in the early morning to take photos without crowds. A few of my other favourite things to do in Edinburgh include visiting Dean Village, checking out the free museums (yes, plural) and enjoying the delectable French toast at Mimi’s Bakehouse. I really need to write about Edinburgh sometime soon, don’t I?

Where to stay: I’ve stayed at Kick Ass Greyfriars (formerly called Budget Backpackers) both times. It’s in a great location and my dorm room was so cheap.

Hallstatt

Hallstatt is the first of two Austrian destinations on my list. I did a day trip to Hallstatt from Salzburg and all I can say is… WOW. It’s a very small town, but it sits on a lake and is surrounded by mountains, so it is the definition of picturesque. Fortunately, I visited after the first snowfall of the year, so the combination of blue skies and snowy mountains made for beautiful photos. I could honestly look at photos of Hallstatt all day, but I should probably keep writing 🙃.

London

I’m so glad I decided to spend over a week in London in 2019. This has to be one of the best places to visit in 2020 (or any year, let’s be real). I don’t think I could ever live in London, as it’s just too big and busy for me. But I hope I can manage to visit every couple of years. That would make me very happy indeed.

A big blog post about London is coming up, but some of my favourite things to do include doing a day trip to Oxford, seeing a musical (or two), shopping along Oxford Street and spending the day in East London. I loved checking out the street art in Shoreditch and having lunch along Brick Lane.

Where to stay: Definitely stay at Wombats (I didn’t like Astor Victoria personally).

Gothenburg

Gothenburg was the second destination I visited on this trip, but it left a lasting impression. It’s one of the best places to visit in 2020 as it’s still a bit of a hidden gem (a.k.a there aren’t hoards of tourists). Gothenburg didn’t have a lot of must-see attractions, but I loved just wandering and eating. Don’t miss seeing the view from Skansen Kronan, eating a massive cinnamon bun from Cafe Husaren and a brownie from Brogyllen, and walking through the park.

Where to stay: Backpackers Göteborg. Although it’s located out of the city centre, it was easy to get a tram directly to the bus station and then I walked everywhere else.

Wrocław

Okay, Wrocław was a complete surprise to me. I basically chose it as it was in between Berlin and Warsaw. But as it turns out, I liked it so much more than both of those destinations. Its Old Town is filled with the most colourful buildings, everyone I spoke to was very friendly and the food was delicious (and SO cheap). Don’t miss the perogies at Pierogarnia Stary Młyn.

Where to stay: I highly recommend checking out TOGOTO, which is right next to the Old Town. It’s brand new, so everything is modern and clean, and the private rooms were so cheap!

Vilnius

Vilnius exceeded my expectations and was my favourite destination in the Baltics. I’ve already written a blog post about Vilnius (look at me go), but definitely check out Užupis, do one or two walking tours, and head up to one of the city’s many viewpoints.

Where to stay: I really liked my stay at Old Town Trio. It was walking distance to everything, the room was big and very comfortable, and the breakfast was delicious.

Athens

One of the most interesting places to visit in 2020 has to be Athens. I didn’t really know what to expect from Athens, but I was really surprised from the moment I stepped onto the metro at the airport. The city was this interesting (and captivating) combination of old and new. Like you can casually walk past an ancient site on your way to shopping at Zara.

My top recommendations for things to do in Athens include this walking tour, devouring loukoumades at Lukumades, wandering around Plaka, checking out the street art and views in Anafiotika, and enjoying a burger at Mama Roux. I did not have a bad meal in Athens, just lots and lots of good ones. If you, like me, also want to visit a Greek island while staying in Athens, check out this post for a look at the tour I did.

Where to stay: I stayed at Mosaikon and I would happily return. Firstly, every staff member was extremely friendly and welcoming. Secondly, it was very clean and modern, and it was in the perfect location.

Innsbruck

I am so SO glad I decided to do a day trip from Munich to Innsbruck. It was a long day (a little over two hours each way), but Innsbruck is breathtakingly beautiful. From its snowy mountain surrounds, to the turquoise river running through its middle, to its colourful buildings, I couldn’t stop taking photos. I recommend heading up the Stadtturm (City Tower) for the best view, and stopping for a slice of sachertorte at Strudel Cafe Kröll. It was freezing in November, but you can’t deny that the snow makes Innsbruck look even more magical. So if you’re deciding where to visit in Europe next fall/winter, check out Innsbruck. You won’t be disappointed!

Heidelberg

I visited four places in Germany in 2019 and Heidelberg was hands down my favourite. Like, there was no competition 😂. It’s a small place, but I found it to be very charming, thanks to its castle on the hill. I’ve also already got a mini guide to Heidelberg published on the blog, if you’re wondering why you need to visit in 2020. There’s lots of pretty photos included.

Where to stay: Check out Meininger Heidelberg, which may have the comfiest beds in Germany.

Singapore

Ah, Singapore. I stopped in Singapore on my way back to Australia, which became my third visit in two years. In this Instagram post, I mentioned that Singapore just feels like my happy place. I feel so comfortable there, wandering the streets and checking out all of the sights. My love for Singapore may also have something to do with the delicious food. I’ve written quite a bit about Singapore on the blog so far: here’s my budget travel guide and my favourite things to do. But if you get the opportunity to visit Singapore in 2020, I couldn’t recommend it more. Just be prepared to sweat a lot.

Where to stay: I’ve only stayed at Dream Lodge, which is a fantastic hostel. It’s close to two metro stations, a mall and there’s two hawker centres on the same street.

It was hard narrowing down the list to only 10 favourite destinations, but all of these places made me happy (or left me speechless, in a good way). Now I just need to get writing and publish some blog posts to share all the reasons why I think they’re the best places to visit next year. On that note, happy 2020! Thanks, as always, for stopping by and reading my blog – I really appreciate it.

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